GLNPO Project Requirements: information for applicants

All requirements applicable to Federal EPA assistance agreements are applicable to your projects. This includes government-wide requirements pertaining to:

accounting standards

lobbying

minority or woman business enterprise

publication

meetings

construction

disposition of property

EPA regulations governing assistance programs and recipients are codified in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

The generic requirements below may apply to projects funded through GLNPO. GLNPO Project Officers may also advise you of additional requirements applicable to your projects or may request some "tailoring" of the generic requirements.

These generic and specific requirements may result in costs that you had not previously anticipated. These costs should be reflected in proposed budgets. GLNPO requests that you include the applicable requirements in proposed workplans.

For projects involving environmental data collection, there is a potential benefit in savings and efficiency if you prepare your proposal in the form of a Quality Assurance Project Plan.

If a Project Officer has been assigned to your project, that Project Officer is the best person to advise you on whether particular requirements below apply to your project.

Generic Requirements

Progress Reports

Semi-annual project
progress reports shall be submitted electronically to the US EPA Project Officer within 30
days of the end of the reporting period.

Draft Final Report

Both the electronic and
the paper version of the draft Final Report will be submitted to the US EPA Project Officer
prior to Final Report submittal.

Final Report

Both the electronic and the
paper version of the Final Report shall be provided to the US EPA Project Officer for
acceptance and approval at the completion of the project. The Final Report will, at
EPA's discretion, be placed on EPA's website or intranet Intranet site. The Final Report
is subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

Your Final Report must be submitted in three formats:

Printed camera-ready copy.

Original electronic copy on disc or CD. Both MacIntosh
and Windows are acceptable. All major word processing and desktop publishing formats
are acceptable. Digital graphics should be submitted in their original form.
Any special fonts used within the document should also be provided.

HTML (basic web page encoding) version.

Project Documentation

The Recipient shall
document, in writing and pictures, environmental progress under the project. Such
documentation shall be submitted as part of progress reports and in the Final Report.

Payment

Payment of Federal funds shall be
in accordance with the award agreement, up to 95% of the total allowable award. When the
Final Report is delivered to the US EPA Project Officer and approved, the remaining 5% of
the Federal share of total allowable costs will be paid.

Meetings/Conferences

Time and travel costs
along with participation in professional meetings and conferences funded under this
agreement shall be approved by the US EPA Project Officer in advance.

Subcontracting

No portion of this work
shall be subcontracted without the explicit notification and written approval by the US EPA Project Officer.

Quality Assurance

This project proposal
will be reviewed to determine whether a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) will be
needed.

All projects which use environmental data must have an approved QAPP.

Environmental data is defined as any measurements or information that describe

environmental processes, location, or conditions;

ecological or health effects and
consequences;

or the performance of environmental technology.

[see the American National
Standard Specifications and Guidelines for Quality Systems for Environmental Data
Collection and Environmental Technology Programs (ANSI/ASQC E4-1994)].

QAPPs must be
submitted within 90 days of the grant award AND 30 days prior to commencement of any
environmental data collection. The Recipient will adjust its implementation schedule
accordingly.

Costs associated with data collection are not allowable costs until the QAPP
is approved by the GLNPO QA Manager.

Locational Information

Locational information (latitude
and longitude) shall be reported for all areas of interest in this agreement
(ex: sampling sites/areas, restoration sites/areas, etc.) according to the National Geospatial Data Policy (Geospatial Policies and Standards)

Data Reporting

All environmental monitoring
data collected under this agreement shall be reported to GLNPO in spreadsheet format,
preferably Microsoft Excel. Contact Louis Blume (312) 353-2317 or Mary
Beth Giancarlo (312) 886-2253 with questions or to receive a hard copy of the format.

Safety Manual

Lab and field activities
conducted for this project must be in accordance with provisions of the GLNPO Health,
Safety, and Environmental Compliance Manual. Contractors and Recipients are required to
have read the contents of the Manual prior to initiating field operations.

Signage

The Recipient will erect a visible
project identification sign at each significant access point to the project. Each sign
must give project information and credit the United States Environmental Protection Agency
- Great Lakes National Program Office for funding. Subject to the US EPA Project Officer's
approval, the Recipient will determine the design, placement, and materials for each sign.
[Source: 40 CFR §30.515]

Disposition of Wastes

Disposal of all
wastes will be in accordance with State and Federal regulations, and is the responsibility
of the Recipient.